M f\w\ec,  -JThi 


THE  N_A  T I O N A L 
INDIAN  ASSOCIATION 


—jr 


Originated  1879 


Incorporated  18S7 


A 

Navajo 

Life  Saving  Station 


156  FIFTH  AVENUE.  NEW  YORK 


/ 


7 / 


A X avajo 
Lite  Saving  Station. 

At  Indian  Wells  on  the  uplands  of  north- 
east Arizona  stands  the  Good  Samaritan 
Hospital  and  Dispensary  erected  by  The 
National  Indian  Association.  No  other 
medical  station  is  within  reach  of  huge 
numbers  of  these  Navajo  Indians  and  they 
come  long  distances  to  the  hospital  for 
help.  Dr.  C.  J.  K.  Moore,  the  resident  phy- 
sician,  also  visits  their  camps,  gives  emer- 
gency treatment  and  brings  to  the  wards 
cases  needing  hospital  care.  In  the  two 
,'eais  since  the  hospital  was  opened  nearly 
:U0°  treatments  have  been  given  and  more 
than  one  hundred  patients  have  been  cared 
lor  in  the  wards. 

The  Navajos  are  very  superstitious  and 
tor  generations  have  been  under  the  influ- 
ence of  their  medicine  men.  A Navajo 
mother  brought  her  child  to  the  hospital. 

It  was  suffering  from  a heavy  bronchial 
cold,  was  given  constant  treatment  during 
the  nigld,  and  in  the  morning  there  was 
marked  improvement  in  its  condition.  Dur- 
ing the  day  the  father  came  in  a state  of 
agitation  and  fear.  He  said  that  before  the 
child  was  born  a sister  of  its  mother  was 
bitten  by  a snake  and  died,  and  that  was 


3 


the  cause  of  the  child’s  illness.  He  was 
sure,  he  said,  "the  white  man’s  medicine 
would  not  do  any  good.”  The  superintend- 
ent talked  with  him.  but  he  insisted  upon 
taking  the  child  away  to  have  a “sing" 
over  it.  A Navajo  man  was  found  who 
could  “sing”  the  snake  song,  so  they  took 
the  baby  to  a hogan  about  a mile  distant, 
where  they  “sang”  over  it  continuously 
that  night  and  all  the  following  day.  Th<- 
man  returned  to  the  hospital  about  mid- 
night and  said  the  child  was  dead. 

Though  the  success  of  the  hospital  has 
been  so  marked  that  the  influence  of  the 
medicine  men  has  been  considerably  les- 
sened. yet  superstitious  practices  in  the 
treatment  of  the  sick  still  prevail.  Recent- 
ly Dr.  Moore  went  to  see  a sick  child  in  a 
camp  about  ten  miles  distant.  After  two 
hours’  riding  he  reached  the  hogan,  a sin- 
gle structure  about  fifteen  feet  square. 
Preparations  were  on  foot  to  have  a “big 
sing”  over  the  child.  Four  sheep  had  b°en 
killed,  which  the  women  were  dressing  for 
the  feast,  for  a Navajo  family  giving  a 
“sing”  must  feed  all  who  come  to  it.  The 
sick  child,  two  years  old.  was  in  its  moth- 
er’s arms  and  had  no  clothing  on  it.  though 
the  day  was  bitterly  cold  and  the  case  one 
of  bronchia]  pneumonia.  In  the  hogan 
were  three  other  women  and  sixteen  chil- 
dren, all  under  the  age  of  twelve,  and  all 


very  scantily  clad.  This  was  the  family  of 
one  Navajo  man. 

Trachoma,  a scourge  of  the  Indian  tribes, 
spreads  very  quickly  among  the  Navajos, 
owing  to  their  habits  and  the  unsanitary 
conditions  under  which  large  families  are 
crowded  together  in  one-roomed  hogans. 
with  the  bare  earth  for  a floor.  Notwith- 
standing this,  t ho  disease  is  being  success- 
fully combatted  at  the  hospital  and  efforts 
are  being  put  forth  by  the  physician,  with 
some  measure  of  success,  to  remedy  the  evil 
conditions  under  which  these  Indians  live. 
About  two  thousand  treatments  hare  been 
given  jor  trachoma,  but  there  are  other  cases 
each  day  needing  surgical  skill  and  medical 
attention.  Patients  have  been  treated  jor 
tuberculosis,  rheumatism,  sores  on  head  and 
body,  swollen  knee  joints,  car  and  throat 
diseases,  bronchitis,  fever,  ulcerated  teeth, 
broken  and  fractured  limbs,  dislocated 
joints,  abscesses,  grippe,  severe  cuts  and 
burns,  concussion  of  the  brain,  and  many 
minor  ailments. 

Those  who  live  in  cities  where  medical 
skill  abounds  and  hospitals  and  other  insti- 
tutions for  the  relief  of  suffering  are  numer- 
ous, can  but  imperfectly  realize  the  condi- 
tions existing  in  places  where  no  such  re- 
lief is  at  hand  and  where  the  superstitious 
customs  of  the  Indians  add  to  the  suffering 
of  the  sick.  The  hospital  has  no  endow- 


ment  and  the  future  of  the  work  depends 
entirely  upon  the  money  contributed  for  its 
support.  The  sum  of  *5,000  is  needed  to 
maintain  it  for  twelve  months,  and  we  ur- 
gently appeal  for  your  help.  Your  contri- 
bution. whatever  the  amount,  will  greatly 
aid  at  this  time  and  will  go  direetlv  toward 
the  support  of  this  medical  work  for  a 
much-neglected  tribe  of  Indians.  Cheques 
may  be  made  payable  to  Miss  Anna  Ben- 
nett, Treasurer,  and  sent  to  her.  or  to  John 
W . Clark.  Executive  Secretary  of  The  Na- 
tional Indian  Association,  156  Fifth  Avenue. 
New  York. 


April,  1915. 


The  National  Indian  Association 
Annual  Membership  Fee  § 1 00 


Honorary  “ - 50.00 

Pat  ions  are  made  such  by  the  payment 
ot  $25.00  within  the  year. 

The  Indian’s  Friend,  now  in  its  twenty- 
eighth  year,  is  published  by  the  Association 
bi-monthly.  Price  50  cents  a year. 


0 


Officers  for  1915 


//  o nor  ary  P resid  en  I , 

Mrs.  Amelia  Stone  Quinton, 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

President, 

Mrs.  Otto  Heinicke, 

Bay  Ridge,  N.  Y. 

A orthern  \ ice-President, 

Mrs.  Edward  M.  Wistar, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Eastern  Vice-President, 

Mrs.  Sara  T.  Kinney, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

Southern  Vice-  President , 

Mrs.  Cato  Sells, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Western  Vice-President, 

Mrs.  John  Bidwei.l, 

Chico.  Cal. 

'orresponding  ami  Executive  Secretary, 
John  W.  Clark, 

156.  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 
lie  cording  Secretary, 

Miss  Sarah  I.  Buckley, 
Morristown,  N.  .1. 

Treasurer, 

Miss  Anna  Bennett, 

156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 

Auditor. 

Mrs.  William  H.  Laird, 

New  York  City. 


A Navajo  Hogan 


